Dorothy Hepburn

Dorothy Mason (Fuller) Hepburn, 91, of Hyde Park, a lifelong New Englander and friend to many, died on Friday, Nov. 27, 2015.

Dot was quick to smile and ready with a hug, made friends easily and took pride in connecting with them. She was known for her earnest hospitality, great sense of humor and scrumptious homemade pies.

Dot was born in 1924 in Worcester, Mass., daughter of Raymond Fuller, a cattle dealer, and Olive Mason Fuller, a homemaker. She was raised as a farm girl in Shrewsbury, Mass., and was an avid equestrian with a penchant for pintos.

She married Donald “Hep” Hepburn in 1948 and together they raised three children, Nancy, Dorothy and Robert.

In her 50s, Dot survived cancer and retired with Hep to Hyde Park, where they built the home in which she welcomed her family and friends for the next 38 years. She worked part time for the town clerk, dedicated 20 years of service to the Lamoille County Conservation District, and found great joy simply watching the wildlife by the pond while relaxing in her sunroom.

Visitors made Dot tick. She found nothing more important than a guest’s arrival, for years announced by the eager barking of her beloved beagle, Mandy. She never missed her annual pilgrimage to the apple orchards on the Champlain Islands or a Red Sox game on television. She stayed close to home but craved traveling, and felt fortunate for the chance to visit Texas and Alaska before she died.

She loved following the family genealogy and was thrilled to learn recently that she was a Mayflower descendant. She adored her five grandchildren, Brett, Bri, David, Grant and Brandon, and her three great-grandchildren, Nekeisha, Ava and Ryan.

Dot died peacefully at home. She found comfort in her final days eyeing the blue sky from her bedroom window and noting the number of wild turkeys she spied daily near her pond. She left expressing gratitude for the love of her family and friends, for the peaceful home she never had to leave, and for the kindness she found living in Vermont.

Her husband, Donald, died in 2001. Her sister, Charlotte, died in 1996.

Survivors include three children, Nancy Kaplan and husband Ken of Stowe, Dorothy Provost and husband Ivan of West Topsham, and Robert Hepburn of Eden.

At Dot’s request, there will be no calling hours or service. Contributions in her memory may be made to Lamoille Area Cancer Network, 198 Farr Ave., Morristown, VT 05661, or Lamoille County Conservation District, 109 Professional Drive, Suite 2, Morrisville, VT, 05661.